Strategic maintenance, expertise employed in SWA

Although they are technically tenants on this base, Airmen assigned to the 8th Expeditionary Aircraft Squadron Maintenance Flight turn and crank thousands of hours of work over the course of a rotation. The mission of the 8th EAMS Maintenance Flight is to provide strategic maintenance on

Nine Airmen face 3,000+ wires, one big job

They are responsible for miles and miles of cable and wire just so everyone can communicate here and to the world. The job has them working above and below ground, fighting all the elements of the desert climate. This responsibility lies with the 407th Expeditionary Communications Squadron’s Base

Senior leader assignments

The following are senior officers in Air Combat Command who have been selected for assignments: Col. Carl J. Swanson, ACC deputy command chaplain and chief of personnel and requirements division, Langley AFB, Va., will become 55th Wing chaplain, Offutt AFB, Neb. Col. Greggory E. Custer, 82nd

Spammers beware: ACC has your number

Air Combat Command implemented a new plug-in software solution May 1 known as Symantec Brightmail Anti-Spam, or simply Brightmail – a system designed to better identify and block unsolicited commercial e-mails for everyone in the command. “Spam puts a strain on our network and approximately 50-60

Air refueling enables 24-hour ops in SWA

Fighters are in the air 24 hours a day, providing constant support to ground forces in Iraq and Afghanistan; but, without midair refueling, that coverage would be lost. The 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron provides the necessary fuel to those thirsty fighters as they keep troops on the

ACC announces AF safety award winners

The following individuals and units are winners for the 2005 Air Force Safety Awards: Col. Will L. Tubbs, Air Combat Command – Memorial Award for Ground Safety: Air Combat Command Tech. Sgt. Lewis E. Long, 509 Bomb Wing – Air Force Nuclear Surety Outstanding Achievement Award 33rd Fighter Wing,

The bead's on you

Senior Airman Owain Schooling looks down the barrel of a M-249 light machine gun while providing flightline protection here during the Nuclear Operational Readiness Inspection April 22. Airman Schooling is with the 5th Security Forces Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Christopher

CAOC delivers battlespace awareness to warfighters

The Combined Air and Space Operations Center houses the systems that provide the United States and its allies with critical warfighting information. The Electronic Systems Center delivers and manages those systems inside the CAOC thus providing warfighters with integrated full spectrum command and

Minot Airman nets $10K from IDEA

A good idea came with a $10,000 reward for an Airman here in the 5th Maintenance Squadron. Tech. Sgt. James Mazurek was cashed in using the Air Force Innovative Development through Employee Awareness program Thursday, April 13. He submitted an idea to insert a warning paragraph to the technical

Senior leader retirements, assignments

The president has nominated to the Senate Lt. Gen. William M. Fraser III, Air Combat Command vice commander, Langley AFB, Va., for reappointment to the Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff assistant, Pentagon, Washington D.C. The following are senior officers in Air Combat Command who are scheduled

Red Flag in Alaska combines ACC, PACAF

Nine F-16s and approximately 100 Airmen from the 64th Aggressor Squadron left Nellis April 18 for the first-ever Red Flag – Alaska exercise. The exercise, formerly known as Cope Thunder, is a combined training effort between Pacific Air Forces and Air Combat Command. The Aggressors provide an air,

Ground combatants now call air support by phone

Ground units in combat are now able to call for close-air support using the equivalent of a cellular phone that connects with a pod on fighter aircraft. The new Fighter Aircraft Communication Enhancement pod, fielded for the first time in late 2004, is a solution to communication problems often

Connecting flight

An F-15E Strike Eagle refuels over the mountains of Afghanistan during its flight in support of Operation Mountain Lion April 12. The crew and fighter are deployed to the 336th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron in Southwest Asia from the 4th Fighter Wing at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. (U.S.

Virtual violence ruins accounts, credit rating

Crooks made off with an estimated $5 billion from individuals who parted with their identity last year. In what is becoming America’s fastest growing type of robbery, identity theft involves a shrewd charade instead of a hold-up at gun point – and military members are increasingly becoming the

Foam test e-mail overflows with perception problems

Mark Twain once said, “A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.” In today’s e-mail society, that is literally true, as Airmen here have discovered. Photos of a B-1 hangar here filled with more bubbles than a dinosaur-sized hot tub, complete with people

Heartlink: support for the military spouse

They join the Air Force without taking the oath, their spouses are about to deploy for four months, and they’re about to PCS soon – but they’re not even sure what a PCS means, much less what it involves. What do they do, and who can they turn to? Within Air Combat Command, new Air Force spouses can

F-15 'show of force' saves Army ground troops

“It’s so frustrating to come under attack, and see another one of our soldiers hurt,” said “AJ,” a Joint Terminal Attack Controller who supports the U.S. Army infantry in Iraq. “This time one of our guys lost a leg and several fingers,” said the major. “But it could have been worse if the Strike

Senior leader retirements, assignments

The following are senior officers in Air Combat Command who are scheduled to retire: Col. David J. Goossens, ACC Comptroller, Langley AFB, Va. Col Charles E. Wynne, ACC Public Affairs director, Langley AFB, Va. Col. Franklin T. Ragland, 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Group commander, Al Udeid Air

Reserve crew flies C-130 humanitarian missions in Africa

Horn of Africa - The 120 degree heat, dusty wind and 4,500-foot dirt runway seemed worlds away from snowy Pennsylvania, the home of Capt. Pat Stafy. The Air Force Reserve pilot, activated to fly with the 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron in Southwest Asia, was flying his third mission to Bilate,

Tire failure causes F-16 damage

A tire failure caused an F-16C aircraft to depart the runway upon landing at Balad Air Base, Iraq, Oct. 9, 2005, according to an aircraft accident investigation report released April 12. There were no injuries in the incident and damage was limited to the aircraft’s Theater Airborne Reconnaissance

ACC praises Inkeeper Award winners

The 2006 Air Combat Command Innkeeper Award winners are the Inn at Davis-Monthan, D-M AFB, Ariz., for the large base category, and the Whiteman Inn at Whiteman AFB, Mo., in the small base category. They have been selected as the best lodging operations in ACC and will represent ACC in the 2006 Air

T-shirts at Shaw combat sexual assault

“They beat you; they raped you; they left you for dead,” reads one.Another simply states “It still hurts.” Creating T-shirt designs like these is meant to be therapeutic for sexual assault victims, which is the purpose of The Clothesline Project; displaying the shirts is meant to bring awareness to

ACC names top Airmen

Air Combat Command officials honored the command's top Airmen at the Outstanding Airman of the Year banquet here April 7. The four Airmen will now compete for honors as one of the Air Force Twelve Outstanding Airmen and First Sergeant of the Year. ACC's nominees are: Airman Senior Airman Polly-Jan

High pressure from the boss

Lt. Col. David Foote, 5th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron commander, washes down one of the wings of a B-52H Stratofortress during an aircraft wash March 31. People could elect their boss or squadron mates to help wash the plane for 25 cents a vote to help raise money for the Air Force Assistance

Airmen control one third of Iraqi skies

With more than 10,000 aircraft flying through their airspace each month, the men and women of the 407th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron’s Air Traffic Control Tower and Area Control Center stay busy. “We are responsible for one third of Iraq – any aircraft coming in or going through,” said

Senior leader retirements, assignments

The following are senior leaders in Air Combat Command who are scheduled to retire Maj. Gen. Elizabeth A. Harrell, ACC Maintenance and Logistics director, Langley AFB, Va. Brig. Gen. Kimber L. Mckenzie, 8th Air Force vice commander, Barksdale AFB, La. Col. Michael W. Spencer, 355th Wing commander,

Raptor and Moody teams nominated for excellence award

The Air Combat Command Directorate of Requirements F-22A Raptor Acceptance Team and the 366th Fighter Wing War Eagle Phase Dock team were selected as ACC’s nominees for the 2006 Chief of Staff Team Excellence Award. This award recognizes outstanding team performance and promotes a systematic

AEF Center features new commander

The Air and Space Expeditionary Force Center welcomed a new commander in a change-of-command ceremony held here March 30.Col. Brian T. Kelly was given command of the AEF Center by Gen. Ronald Keys, Air Combat Command commander. Brig. Gen Stephen L. Hoog, relinquished command and will become the

Moody troop earns ACC Airman of Year

An Airman assigned to the 820th Security Forces Group here recently received the Air Combat Command’s Airman of the Year award. According to Air Force officials, Senior Airman Polly-Jan Bobseine, a security forces journeyman with the 823rd Security Forces Squadron, was chosen for the award based on

ACC takes CSAR under wing

Air Combat Command took administrative control of select Air Force Combat Search and Rescue assets from Air Force Special Operations Command today as part of a realignment announced in February. The transfer ensures the Air Force core competency of Combat Search and Rescue is directly linked to the

ACC anounces winners of the '05 AF Productivity Excellence Award

Congratulations to the following Air Force winners of the 2005 Air Force Productivity Excellence Award: - Ms. Raquel M. O’Connor, Master Sgt. David R. Swartwood, Master Sgt. Kenneth J. Stewart, and Tech. Sgt. Bernard Greene, all part of the combined team from Headquarters Air Intelligence Agency and

Senior leader retirements, assignments

The following are senior officers in Air Combat Command who are scheduled to retire. - Col. Leonard T. Coleman, 4th Mission Support Group commander, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C. - Col. Jeffrey P. Harrell, 27th Fighter Wing vice commander, Cannon AFB, N.M. - Col. Scott J. Mason, 20th Mission Support

ACC Airmen nab legal awards for '05

Congratulations to the following for winning the Air Combat Command legal awards for 2005: - ACC paralegal Airman award: Airman 1st Class Shawn Kennedy, 55th Wing, Offutt AFB, Neb. - ACC paralegal noncommissioned officer of the year: Tech. Sgt. Leslie Crow,27th Fighter Wing, Cannon AFB, N.M. - ACC

ACC releases F-16C accident report

A KC-10 air refueling aircraft boom operator’s over compensation on the boom flight-control stick caused the boom to strike an F-16C Fighting Falcon during a refueling mission over Lake Andes Military Operations Area, S.D., Oct. 28, according to an Air Force report released today. Both aircraft

Landing-gear pin causes F-22A damage

A maintainer’s failure to control the nose landing gear pin streamer during removal from an F-22A allowed the pin to be ingested into the right engine Oct. 20, 2005 prior to a mission at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, according to an aircraft accident investigation report released today. There were no

WAPS - Airmen put to the test - at home or deployed

The time has come again when Airmen start studying and testing for their Weighted Airman’s Promotions System tests. With high operations and people frequently deploying or returning from deployment, it may be hard to figure out when one is eligible to test. According to Air Force Instruction

Senior Leader retirements, assignments

The following announcement is a list of the latest senior officer retirements: Col. Nancy E. Frye, 552nd Maintenance Group commander, Tinker AFB, Okla. Col. Kevin E. Rumsey, 1st Mission Support Group commander, Langley AFB, Va.The following announcement is a list of the latest senior officer

PA warriors earn praise from leaders, peers

The following are the 2005 Air Combat Command Public Affairs Achievement Award winners: A. Individual awards for public affairs excellence - wing level Outstanding PA field grade officers 1st Place: Maj. Joseph P. Dellavedova, 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman AFB, Mo. 2nd Place: Maj. Wesley P. Miller Iv,

ACC announces Combat Crew Communications award winners

The following people are winners in the Air Combat Command Combat Crew Communications annual awards: - Senior NCO category: Master Sgt. Williamenia Shaw, 2nd Operations Support Squadron, Barksdale AFB, La. -  NCO category: Staff Sgt. Tiffany R. Clements, 509th Operations Support Squadron, Whiteman

Nominees praised for 2005 Info Ops award

Headquarters Air Combat Command announced its nominees to represent the command in the third Air Force Information Operations Award competition. "The selection process was extremely difficult due to the magnitude of efforts in the past year and the sheer volume of praiseworthy contributions of IO

R-E-S-P-E-C-T -- The tie that binds the NCO corps

The transition to noncommissioned officer, and later, to senior noncommissioned officer can be a daunting experience for any Airman, but Chief Master Sgt. David Popp, Air Combat Command’s command chief has a few words of advice for those who make the journey. The key to success, Chief Popp says, is

Air Force beefs up environmental education

LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (ACCNS) -- More than 1,200 Airmen and civilians from various governmental agencies attended the 2006 Environmental Training Symposium in Pittsburgh, Pa., Feb. 27 to March 3 in order to gain insight on how to better care for the environment. The symposium is a partnership

Holloman 'preferred' new home for F-22A

The Air Force announced March 1 Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., is a preferred alternative location for an operational bed down of the F-22A Raptor. “The announcement of Holloman as a preferred location for bed down of an operational F-22A unit makes sense,” said Gen. Ron Keys, Air Combat Command

Senior officer retirements, assignments

The following announcement is a list of the latest senior officer retirements: - Col. William C. Coutts, 53rd Wing commander, Eglin AFB, Fla. - Col. Edward T. Dixon, Air Combat Command director of personnel, Langley AFB, Va. - Col. Michael A. Morabito, 28th Maintenance Group commander, Ellsworth

CSAR mission to fall under ACC

Combat search and rescue will be coming back to Air Combat Command, the Air Force announced today. Gen. T. Michael Moseley, U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff, directed the transfer of administrative control for select active-duty Air Force CSAR assets from Air Force Special Operations Command back to

JASSM program scores new successes

The Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile flight test program added two more successes to the system’s record during recent tests conducted at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. The JASSM, one of Air Combat Command’s priority programs, flew successful test flights at the missile range Jan. 25 from a

ACC announces Eubanks, LeMay award winners

The General Curtis E. LeMay Award (large base) and Major General Eugene L. Eubanks (small base) were established by the National Orders of Daedalians in 1965 and 1990 respectively to recognize the Air Force Services program. Each major command nominates one base in each category. Air Combat Command

ACC announces security forces award winners

Congratulations to the winners of the 2005 Air Combat Command Outstanding Security Forces Unit Award winners. This year’s winners in their respective categories are: Outstanding Active Duty Small Security Forces Unit Award: 99th Ground Combat Training Squadron, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.

Airmen deploy as 'ghosts' for security

They call themselves “the ghosts of the base.” They stand in the background, silently observing Third Country Nationals with a watchful eye. Their work almost goes unnoticed, but the 379th Force Protection Security Escort Flight plays a critical role in base security. “As a second line of defense

ACC announces Lieutenant General Leo Marquez Award Winners

Congratulations to the winners of the 2005 Air Combat Command Lieutenant General Leo Marquez Award. This year’s winners in their respective categories are: Outstanding Aircraft Maintenance Person of the Year Category: Field Grade Manager: Lt. Col. Todd G. McCready, Ellsworth AFB, S.D. Company Grade

'Noble Eagle' mission marks milestone for F-22A squadron

The 27th Fighter Squadron passed another milestone Jan. 22 after completing an Operation Noble Eagle mission in the F-22A. The Jan. 21 and 22 mission over the U.S. marks the first operational mission in the new fighter aircraft since it was declared Initial Operational Capable in December. Operation

ACC announces senior officer assignments

ACC announced today the following senior officer assignments:-Brig. Gen. John D. Posner, 27th Fighter Wing commander, Cannon AFB, N.M. will become deputy director of operations at the National Military Command Center, Pentagon, Washington D.C. - Col. Scott D. West, 52nd Fighter Wing vice commander,

1st FW celebrates IOC on F-22A

The 1st Fighter Wing hosted a ceremony Jan. 13 to celebrate Initial Operational Capability for the F-22A Raptor. The event comes after the 27th Fighter Squadron was officially declared IOC on Dec. 15 by Gen. Ronald E. Keys, commander of Air Combat Command. The 27th FS, the oldest fighter squadron in

Nellis hosts joint DoD experiment

Spiral 2 of the Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment ‘06 kicked off here Monday. JEFX is an Air Force chief of staff-sponsored, major command-executed series of experiments that combine live fly, live play ground and naval forces, simulation and technology insertions into a war fighting environment.

Air Force operational test, evaluation center rates F-22A 'mission capable'

The Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center recently completed the F-22A Raptor Follow-on Operational Test and Evaluation and has rated the Air Force’s newest fighter as mission capable in the air-to-ground role. This “mission capable” rating is part of a newly developed system now being

COMACC outlines command’s focus

Air Combat Command Commander Gen. Ronald E. Keys recently emphasized his commitment to ensuring Airmen are the best led, best equipped and best trained ... so ACC can win today’s wars and be ready for tomorrow’s.“We’re involved in seven different wars right now -- OIF; OEF; ONE; relief for

MQ-1 Predator crashes in Iraq

An Air Force MQ-1 Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle crashed today in Rawah, Iraq, at approximately 7:00 p.m. local.The aircraft was assigned to the 15th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron at Nellis AFB, Nevada. It was in the Central Command area of operations supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.A

End of tour

Under cover

Train-ing

Shaw honor guard trains South Carolina Civil Air Patrol members

While most of Team Shaw was enjoying a weekend away from work, several Shaw honor guard members here volunteered their time to help spit polish a new South Carolina Civil Air Patrol program.In a joint initiative between the S.C. CAP, the Shaw honor guard and the 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

Masked

Airman runs for more than just 26 miles

Television models and celebrities did not inspire an Airman here to get in shape. It was military bearing.Prior to enlisting in the Air Force, 1st Lt. Kelly Courtland, the Sub Area Petroleum Office officer-in-charge and the food service officer at Joint Task Force-Bravo, had to lose 12 pounds and

Air Force team teaches Hondurans how to ‘fish’ for health

A young Honduran mother, with three small children clinging to her skirt and a baby on the way, leaves the village school yard with a handful of vitamins, a couple of toothbrushes and a smile.She’s just one of almost 6,000 patients a team from the 355th Medical Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base,

Command chief speaks on deployments, quality of life

Deployments are a way of life for all Airmen, but quality-of-life improvements are being made to compensate for the time they spend away from home, according to Air Combat Command’s top enlisted Airman.Speaking at an Airman Leadership Class graduation here July 29, Chief Master Sgt. Rod Ellison, ACC

Crime-scene investigators train at Nellis

Two vehicles were destroyed here March 29 during an event aimed at helping crime-scene investigators hone their skills.FBI officials detonated more than 550 pounds of explosives to provide a more realistic environment for a large-vehicle bomb post-blast investigation class.The five-day class, which

Accident report: B-1B fire caused by brakes

A combination of leaking hydraulic fluid and sparks from the forward inboard brake assembly gouging its wheel caused a fire in a B-1B Lancer’s right main landing gear as it touched down on Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, after a mission Sept. 15, according to Air Force investigators. The aircraft,

ACC announces Safety Award recipients

The Air Combat Command Safety Awards recognize individuals, groups, and units for their efforts in mishap prevention. Air Combat Command presents the following 2005 ACC Safety Award winners: - Mr. Vincent C. Dotson, 8th Air Force, Barksdale AFB, La. – Individual Safety Award - Maj. Donald Temple,

Military spouse holds international ranking for triathlons

A National Hockey League hall-of-famer said, “Nobody’s a natural. You work hard to get good and then work harder to get better.” Seven years ago Shannon Cutting, wife of Lt. Col. Russell Cutting, 99th Services Squadron commander, did not intend to get “good” or even “better” when she ran her first

Air Force: Raptor primed, ready

The Air Force’s most advanced weapon system is ready for combat, Air Force officials here announced Dec. 15. In reaching initial operational capability, the F-22A Raptor has been certified ready for employment. Declaring the transformational fighter IOC means the Raptor’s proven capabilities are now

First Virtual Flag exercise of 2006 ends

The checkerboard flag representing the nationwide virtual reality exercise led by the Distributed Mission Operations Center at Kirtland AFB, N.M. was lowered here Nov. 4, marking the end of the first Virtual Flag exercise of the Fiscal 2006.The Virtual Flag focus is to create an extremely realistic

ACC's nominees for the 2006 Air Force John L. Hennessy Award Competition

Air Combat Command announces the following winners of the 2006 ACC John L. Hennessy Awards.All the competitors are commended for their quality programs, teamwork, pride in performance, and dedicated focus on providing world class customer service. The command expresses its pride of our services

Emergency liaisons deploy to crisis center for Hurricane Wilma

When disaster strikes -- natural or manmade -- a cadre of experts called emergency preparedness liaison officers deploy ready to respond rapidly and aggressively.Providing behind-the-scene or front-line support, EPLOs are the Air Force National Security Emergency Preparedness Agency’s conduit to

1st Air Force ready to provide command, control, for Hurricane Wilma relief

If America’s military is asked to provide resources for Hurricane Wilma relief efforts, the 1st Air Force here is ready to respond.Just weeks ago, the organization established the 1st Aerospace Expeditionary Task Force-Katrina Operation and was the Air Force unit designated to perform command and

Air Warfare Center changes names to USAF Warfare Center

The Air Warfare Center here officially changed its name Oct. 1 to the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center, or USAFWC.The new name more accurately reflects the center’s expanding responsibility to integrate space and information operations with traditional air warfare. The expansion was previously

U-2 accident report released

A catastrophic, cascading sequence of events, beginning with the in-flight failure of the power takeoff shaft, caused a U-2 surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft to crash June 22 in Southwest Asia, killing the pilot, according to Air Force investigators.The aircraft was returning to a forward

U.S. Air Force U-2 aircraft provides Hurricane Rita imagery

The first U.S. Air Force U-2 surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft tasked to collect images of the Gulf Coast before Hurricane Rita hits returned to Beale Air Force Base, Calif. at approximately 4 p.m. yesterday.The unique mission requested by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, collected

ROVER aids in search and rescue

When authorities conducting recovery operations following Hurricane Katrina needed help seeing what was happening on the ground here, Air Force personnel brought combat technology to bear in supporting rescue operations.The system is called ROVER -- short for Remote Operations Video Enhanced

First Air Force continues medical operations, support in disaster area

First Air Force members assigned to Joint Task Force-Katrina continue to support hurricane relief for thousands of citizens in the devastated Gulf Coast Region.First AF members join nearly 7,800 active, Guard and Reserve Airmen in working around the clock to save and sustain lives with aeromedical

Officials: Beware of donation scams

Scenes of chaos and destruction resulting from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina have left military members across the nation wondering how they can help those affected by the tragedy.Like many Americans across the nation, military members and their families seek to help in the hurricane recovery.

Communication units deploy to support Hurricane Katrina relief

Airmen from Headquarters Air Combat Command and the Air National Guard deployed during the last several days to provide around-the-clock service and support to the areas in the Gulf Coast ravaged by Hurricane Katrina.The Airmen are from combat communications and tactical communications units, and

F-15 accident report released

The failure of one of an F-15C's horizontal stabilators caused its pilot to lose control of his aircraft and crash during a training mission March 25,2005, about 45 miles north of Nellis AFB, NV., according to a report released by Air Combat Command today.The mishap occurred during defensive basic

Command announces senior leader assignment

Air Combat Command officials announce the following senior leader assignment:Chief Master Sgt. James A. Roy, command chief, 1st Fighter Wing, Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va., will become command chief, Fifth Air Force, Pacific Air Forces, Yokota AB, Japan.

Two ACC cops are Airmen of the Year

Two Air Combat Command security forces noncommissioned officers joined an elite group July 5, when officials announced the Air Force's 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2005.Officials named Tech. Sgt. Paul J. Schaaf, 823rd Security Forces Squadron, Moody AFB, Ga. and Senior Master Sgt. James E.

Command announces general officer appointments, assignment

Air Combat Command officials announce the following general officer appointments and assignment:The president has nominated to the Senate Lt. Gen. John D.W. Corley for appointment to the grade of general with assignment from principal deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition,

Thunderbirds’ first female pilot announced with new 2006 pilots

The U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, “Thunderbirds,” have announced their new pilots for the 2006 demonstration season which includes the first female demonstration pilot in the 52 year history of the Thunderbirds.Leading the team as Thunderbird No. 1, commander/leader, will be Lt. Col.

Air Combat Command looks for ways to ease burden of budget

Air Combat Command announced its plan to meet projected budget shortfalls and help cover costs of the Global War on Terrorism which includes curtailing non-critical activities and cutting up to 32,000 flying hours throughout ACC.Currently, the Air Force’s fiscal year 2005 projected shortfall is an

SF program prepares ACC Airmen for deployments

A training course developed by the Security Forces Directorate here is preparing Air Combat Command Airmen for the unique demands of operating in a combat environment.The course, 16.5 hours of home-station “just-in-time training,” targets the weapons handling and ground combat skills of about 70,000

DOD recommends closing two ACC bases, realigning six others

Two Air Combat Command bases were among the major installations recommended by the secretary of defense for closure and six others were recommended for realignment as part of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure.The secretary recommended closing Cannon AFB, N.M., and Ellsworth AFB, S.D., when the

Senior leader assignment announcements released

Air Combat Command officials announced the following senior officer assignments:Col. James W. Hyatt, executive officer to the vice chief of the Air Force, Pentagon, Va., will become commander, 20th Fighter Wing, Shaw AFB, S.C.Col. Robert E. Broderick, deputy commander, 354th Operations Group,

Beale family earns top family child care honors

Air Combat Command officials have named Ms. Carol Jones, a child care provider at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., the 2005 Family Child Care Provider of the Year.Ms. Jones, who’s married to Staff Sgt Chris Jones of the 373rd Training Squadron here, earned the honor for her commitment to children and

Missouri teen captures Youth of the Year honors

Officials here named a teen from Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., the Air Combat Command 2005 Youth of the Year.Brandon Wielert, 17, son of James, a retired master sergeant and shift supervisor for U.S. Protect, and Teresa Wielert of Warrensburg, Mo., earned accolades for his school, base and community

DOD focuses on needs with BRAC recommendations

Comprehensive and impartial.That’s the assessment of Air Force officials on the process used in determining the secretary of defense’s recommendations of installations sent to the independent Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission.The recommendations, which must be released by May 16, are

ACC names top Airmen

Air Combat Command officials honored the command's top Airmen at a banquet here April 28.The four Airmen will now compete for honors as one the Air Force Twelve Outstanding Airmen of First Sergeant of the Year.ACC's nominees are:Airman Senior Airman Adrienne S. Mercado, 4th Civil Engineer Squadron,

ACC announces 2005 Carns and Lezy award nominees

Headquarters Air Combat Command announced its nominees for the 2005 Gen. Michael P. C. Carns and Lt. Gen. Norm Lezy Services Awards April 14.The nominees now represent the command in Air Force-level competition. The nominees are:General Carns Services Award: Diane S. Campbell, Langley AFB,

ACC announces 2004 Services award winners

Headquarters Air Combat Command announced the winners of its annual Services awards April 12. The winners will represent the command in the Air Force competition.The winners are:Outstanding field grade officer: Lt. Col. Glenn R. Winkler, Mountain Home Air Force Base, IdahoOutstanding senior civilian

ACC announces senior officer assignments

Air Combat Command officials announced the following senior officer assignments:Col. Anthony J. Rock, vice commander, 33rd Fighter Wing, Eglin AFB, Fla., will become deputy director of Requirements, HQ Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va.Col. Keith E. Gentile, commander, 18th Air Support Operations

Joint Red Flag concludes on high note

The first U.S. and coalition Joint Red Flag exercise ended April 1.More than 10,000 people participated in the event, the largest distributive exercise in U.S. history.One of the major undertakings of JRF was the integration of live, virtual and constructive technologies into one seamless picture.In

ACC colonels nominated for first stars

President George W. Bush has nominated the following Air Combat Command colonels for appointment to the grade of brigadier general:Jonathan D. George, deputy director, plans and programs, HQ Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va.Noel T. Jones, inspector general, HQ ACC, Langley AFB, Va.Stanley T.

AF pilots guide civilian to safe landing

What was to be a routine training mission for two pilots here turned into a rescue mission helping a civilian pilot in trouble find his way safely to the Boise International Airport.The pilots -- Lt. Col. Evan Roelofs, 366th Operations Support Squadron commander, and Capt. Marco Parzych, 389th